Farmers hold Gr Noida authority's office to ransom

Visitors and officers at the GNIDA offices faced a harrowing time for more than two hours, until the protest was quelled after police including SSP Love Kumar, were called.Vandana Keelor | TNN | May 30, 2017, 15:30 IST

Visitors and officers at the GNIDA offices faced a harrowing time for more than two hours, until the protest was quelled after police including SSP Love Kumar, were called.

The agitators, under the banner of Kisan Sangarsh Samiti (KSS), have been protesting outside the Greater Noida Authority for more than a year.

According to the KSS, the farmers' demands include allotment of 10% developed plots in lieu of their acquired land, removal of corrupt officials, non-implementation of the ordinance passed by the Nardendra Modi-government on the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 besides the approval of the leaseback policy of 'abadi' land by the state government. The policy, promising return of acquired abadi land was passed by the board of Greater Noida Authority in January 2013. The approval of the policy would have a direct impact on the lives of 10,000 farmers in the district.

Pressing for their demands, farmers from more than 50 villages gathered at the Greater Noida Authority offices amid heavy police presence on Monday and shouted slogans against the authority. The representatives drew up the list of their demands, which they said has been handed over to senior authority officials several times. The protesters also prevented officials from entering the offices.

"We have been getting empty promises from the officials. They are only favoring builders and not looking out for farmers," said Manveer Bhati, spokesperson.

Meanwhile, officials of the Greater Noida Authority, district administration and police have asked the farmers to stall their protest for the next 15 days and the farmers' body has agreed. "The new CEO Debasish Panda has requested for studying our issue and we have agreed," he said.